The present invention is directed to a stocking knee brace to be worn by athletes with knee problems. More particularly, such knee brace is designed to support the damaged lateral cartilage about the knee-joint.
The knee-joint is a complex structure which is characterized in medical journals as a joint formed by the femur, tibia, and patella (knee cap). It belongs to the class of hinge-joints, although the movements that take place are much more complex than the simple motion of a hinge, the condyles of the femur partly rolling, partly sliding over the flat surfaces on the upper end of the tibia, and the acts of straightening and of bending the limb being finished and begun respectively by a certain amount of rotation. The cavity of the joint is very intricate, and it consists really of three joints fused into one, but separated in part by ligaments and folds of the synovial membrane. The ligaments which bind the bones together are extremely strong, and include the internal and the external lateral ligaments, a weak posterior ligament, a very strong patellar ligament uniting the patella to the front of the tibia, two crucial ligaments in the interior of the joint, and two fibro-cartilages which are interposed between the surfaces of tibia and femur at their edge. The cartilage on the femur and tibia ends provides a surface for smooth gliding motion.
While the knee-joint has a great degree of strength, its strength and stability is often challenged by the physical activities participated in by scholastic and professional athletes. As a consequence, a troublesome condition may develop in such joint. Such condition consists of the loosening of one of the fibro-cartilages lying at the end of the tibia, especially of that on the inner side of the joint. The cartilage may either be loosened from its attachment and tend to slip beyond the edges of the bones, or it may become folded on itself. In either case, it tends to cause locking of the joint when sudden movements are made. This causes temporary inability to use the joint until the cartilage is replaced by forcible straightening, and the ligaments binding the bones together are strengthened.
Knee supports or braces of various types are and have been in use by athletes with knee injuries or weak knees requiring support. This is particularly true in sporting activities such as football and basketball. Typically, such supports or braces use longitudinally extending metal stays along the sides of the knee or metal hinges at the knee-joint. An example of such a brace is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,817,244 to Taylor. As stated by such patent, the knee brace thereof comprises inner and outer bracing structures, each comprising two substantially rigid generally planar and elongated arms. Upper securing means secures one arm of each bracing structure parallel to the wearer's upper leg above the knee for movement with the upper leg and limited motion parallel to the upper leg, and lower securing means secures the outer arm of each bracing structure parallel to the wearer's lower leg below the knee for movement with the lower leg and limited motion parallel to the lower leg. Each bracing structure has a first arm bifurcated to provide two generally parallel plate portions; the second arm has an end portion received between the plate portions for articular motion of the second arm relative to the first arm within a plane parallel to the planes of the plate portions; the plate portions prevent motion of the second arm out of the plane.
Unfortunately, such braces as taught by Taylor may be heavy and cumbersome causing the wearer thereof to be restricted in the flexing of his knee, thus limiting his athletic activities or participation.
Others have attempted to overcome the restrictions resulting from the use of metal stays or hinges by their elimination completely. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,046 to Stromgren teaches a knee support comprising a tubular, elastic sheath to be slipped over the knee. Pressure is applied by a pair of elastic straps anchored to the sheath and held in place by fasteners. The straps in their operative positions extend in crisscross fashion over the inwardly facing sidewall portion of the sheath, and in directions to duplicate the physiologic stability of the medial knee ligament complex.
Each of the above brace or support is characterized by a device acting solely at or about the knee-joint. In contrast to such brace or support the stocking knee brace of the present invention utilizes supportive action from the entire lower leg. Such a feature will be apparent in the description to follow.